original story much better; available at www.dailyscript.com

Rating: 8/10 (15 May 2007)

If you liked this movie or thought there was more to the material than what made it on-screen, then you should visit the website The Daily Script (www.dailyscript.com). They have a copy of Caspian Tredwell-Owen's original screenplay; dated January, 2004. (I will refer to it as the "OS" from now on.) Its first page is missing. :( The OS is darker, more violent, more adult-oriented, more serious and more thoughtful. If Tredwell-Owen's story had stayed intact, then the released movie most likely would have been "Rated R for graphic violence, language, nudity, disturbing images, adult content." WARNING!! Potential spoilers!!! The following is intended only for those who have seen the movie. (If you haven't seen the movie, then, by all means, read the OS first!) One would not believe how many changes were made. The movie seems so diluted in comparison to the OS. The most crucial change of all being why Jordan was created. The story starts out with her being three-months pregnant. Here name here is "Ester Two-Alpha." We meet her sponsor; who has a different profession.
Lincoln didn't ask a bunch of questions to Merrick and Jones; as he did in the movie. However, he was able to make connections on a higher level than any of the other clones. Here, Lincoln is an angrier, more bitter character and more temper-prone. He was nine years old at the beginning of the OS. Not three like in the movie.
McCord is in the OS, but he has only one scene; similar to his first scene with Lincoln in the movie. Lincoln met him under different circumstances than in the movie.
Starkweather Two-Delta, on the other hand, is a much more important character. Similar to the movie, he only has a few scenes. But one remembers them. Lincoln and Starkweather have just one scene together (well, technically, two...). It is the turning point of the story.
Jones is similar to how he was in the movie. But he's not the big source of comic relief that he was there. It's established in the OS that Lincoln considers him to be his best friend. Shortly before the escape, Lincoln finds out how much of a friend he is to Jones. He's known here as "Jones Three-Bravo." A little more time is spent at The Sanger Institute (as it is known in the OS) before Lincoln and Ester escape. We get to know how things work there. How and why it was created. Further, we get to know its role in the outside world legally, politically, ethically and economically.
Almost the entire story takes place in Arizona. Lincoln's and Ester's sponsors lived in Phoenix and Sedona, respectively. While not spelled out explicitly, it's apparent that Starkweather's sponsor lived in Arizona as well.
The Institute consisted of at least 27 floors. All of the clones lived and worked on Level 20 ("Agnate Containment"). Level 27 reveals an absolutely horrifying stage of the agnate life-cycle not covered in the movie. It involved a branch of physics. This part of the story was difficult to read. ("extending sponsorship") As in the movie, the clones had identifying cuffs (known as "ethercuffs") on their wrists. The movie leaves out that each one also had a "crosshatched scar" just above their left eyebrow. At least one person from the outside world called them tattoos.
The clones had "quotas" that they couldn't exceed: protein, sugar, caffeine, alcohol, sodium and pleasure While not a quota, there were strict rules regarding proximity. During the meeting with Lincoln and Merrick, Merrick states "The rules of proximity apply to sexual contact, Lincoln." The clones were known as "residents." TSI employees as "outsiders." The Census Officers, or "Censors," wore white; not black like in the movie. Scheer's uniform had black chevrons to mark his seniority over the others. The clones wore shearlings, polo shirts and slacks. Their colors were not stated. But Lincoln is described as wearing a "white shirt and blue slacks under his shearling" just before escaping.
The entire Institute was sterile.
Lincoln and Jones had office-type jobs in The Department of Population.
The story appears to begin in the year 2084.
Lincoln's pupils would dilate when he was nervous or sensed danger. Starkweather's, too. (This was a plot hole.) Lincoln didn't like Merrick.
Starkweather woke up AFTER he was cut open! At one point, a censor, unknowingly, hits Ester in her stomach.
When Lincoln and Ester successfully escape The Institute, it is in the middle of the night during a dust storm.
For most of the story, Ester thinks that The Island exists.
At one point, Ester wants to return to The Institute.
Bounty hunters are hired to capture Lincoln and Ester.
Lincoln grows facial hair. Ester becomes increasingly sick.
Since Lincoln Six-Echo is the clone of Thomas Lincoln, and Lincoln here is a different character than he was in the movie, their first meeting together was hostile practically from the start. Tom threatens to call security. Lincoln then threatens him with a knife. Drawing blood from his face.
Lincoln returns alone to The Sanger Institute.
Anyway, one gets the idea that there many, many changes made to Caspian Tredwell-Owen's original script. Overall, it's much better than the diluted story that made its way into the movie.
Yet it shares a similar, significant flaw: after Lincoln discovers what's truly going on, it suddenly turns into an action story. The story's middle act lags and is repetitious. There's some downtime, then an encounter with the bounty hunters, some more downtime, another encounter with the bounty hunters, etc. It has its moments, but's as if Tredwell-Owen abandoned his rich premise for a good long time...then, thankfully, returns to it in its last 30 pages. Where things wrap up in a satisfying conclusion.